Injections of medicaments are typically carried out using needle-containing injectors. There are a variety of problems associated with needle-containing injectors including cross-contamination of subjects receiving an injection, the pain associated with such injections and the potential for the needles to break, and dislodge, within a subject being injected. The breakage of a needle within a subject can be not only detrimental to the health and wellbeing of the subject, but can also have significant economic impact.
Increasingly, efforts have been directed to developing needle-free injectors, in attempt to avoid problems associated with needle-containing injectors in current use. Typically, such needle-free injectors are powered by an external gas supply so to provide sufficient energy to drive the liquid through the skin. The requirement of an external gas supply can be disadvantageous for the user, as it can be cumbersome and not amenable for use within an enclosure such as an office, laboratory, barn or the like. It can also be inconvenient to store of these types of external power supplies. Additionally, previous needle-free injectors are typically complicated in design, which in turn results in increased cost of manufacture.
There remains a need, therefore, for improved needle-free injectors.
This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.